The Morphine In My Veins
by KuzuKamuiMadHatter54
Summary: They'd been through hell and back, but they survived. They were alive, and they were together. And now they sought to pursue what they'd seen as forbidden to criminals; love. A KakuHida fanfic. **Credit to LaBlanc for the description.
1. Chapter 1

Kakuzu snapped into reality with a start. He quickly rose to his feet, but then regretted the hasty movement. His wounds burned and ached terribly. Then he remembered what had just happened moments ago. He was in the midst of a fight with several Konoha shinobi, attempting to catch the Kyuubi Nine Tails.

The fox child had been more powerful than Kakuzu had anticipated. Seconds before being struck by the Kyuubi's wind technique, Rasen-Shuriken, Kakuzu had swapped places with a body double, courtesy of Pain. Itachi and Kisame had been the first to test that jutsu and it proved to be very useful. It worked, but Kakuzu knew it wouldn't stall them for long especially considering that they had fallen for that trap twice before. He had to keep moving.

Then he remembered Hidan. The little zealot had gone into the woods to battle the shadow brat. He would have to fetch his partner. Kakuzu took a step forward and the world spun around him. He stumbled, luckily catching himself on a tree before he could fall. His muscles ached, his wounds seared, and his chakra was dangerously low. His breath was raspy and shallow. After taking a moment to steady himself, he opened his eyes and took several heavy steps forward. He moved toward the sound of water. The sadist had fled the land of dead trees and was now wandering through a lush, radiant forest. He sauntered over to the small babbling creek the split through the middle of the forest and dropped to his knees at the edge of the water.

He cupped his hands together and plunged them into the cool water. The cold stung as it seeped into the cuts that laced the misers hands. He then raised his hands to his lips and drank the cool liquid. It tasted painstakingly sweet as the cool water poured down his parched throat. Kakuzu knew he was dehydrated and hunger pricked at him. He crawled to the nearest shrubs, sat, and picked at the ripe blackberries that grew on the vines of the undergrowth. Despite the intake of food, he was still very nauseated. Being in the fire country worried him, and staying put there dragged his fears on. He had to move fast and find Hidan.

He rose on weak legs. The shinobi stumbled forward, chakra depleted, body breaking and will deteriorating. Nonetheless, he carried on. The slightest breeze burned as it passed the crevice of his wounds and threatened to push him down, but Kakuzu managed to keep his ground. Tall lush trees stood close together and shaded the land. Shadows hung on Kakuzu's frame, making the weary nin look more gaunt and dark. An icy aura emanated from Kakuzu and the overcast of trees seemed to darken his mood further.

Lost in though, yet with no particular thought at all, he walked on, only stopping when a glint of harsh light assaulted his eyes. Shielding his eyes with a bloody hand as he sauntered into the sun lit area and crouched next to the metallic object. The object was half steeped in dirt, but anxiety made Kakuzu's heart race. He wiped the dirt away with a shaky hand and confirmed his fears. The weight on his shoulders became spine crushing as he picked Hidan's blood smeared headband out of the earth.

Kakuzu practically leapt to his feet. "Hidan!" he yelled, his knuckles white with the force of his grip on his partners accessory. "Hidan!" Kakuzu broke into a half run, half stumble movement. The muscles in his legs seared in agony, but he pressed on. He didn't understand why, but something compelled him to search for his comrade. Hidan was annoying, loudmouthed, bullheaded, cocky... he really knew how to get under Kakuzu's skin, but for some reason the incoherent priest was always on Kakuzu's mind. Was it friendship? Kakuzu knew that was a far fetched idea, but he hadn't had a friend in years. He never allowed himself to grow close to anyone. All those bonds did was hurt him, so he killed everyone around him, his fellow Akatsuki being the only exception.

But oddly enough, Kakuzu had grown fond of having the masochistic priest at his side and frankly, he enjoyed the company. Even if the ignorant dumbass had pissed Kakuzu off to no end, he always seemed to lighten Kakuzu' sour moods, but Kakuzu never admitted that. Now that he thought about it, Hidan had grown to be somewhat of a priority to Kakuzu. For some unexplainable reason, Kakuzu felt a need to protect Hidan. Was it because now he may have lost Hidan forever? That he didn't want Hidan to perish from his life? Or was it something even more ludicrous? Was it the vista of friendship? Or even... Love?

Kakuzu stopped in his tracks and chuckled incredulously. Love? That was beyond foolish. Just considering Hidan a frien was a huge stretch, but love? Kakuzu hadn't loved anyone in decades. Yet some foreign feeling pushed the stitched nin forward. All he knew was that he had to find Hidan. But then a cold reality dawned on him. The body double stunt took a mass amount of chakra and concentration to pull off in a spurious moment. He could have been unconscious for two minutes or two days. Kakuzu felt the color drain from his face and, despite his wounds, he sprinted through the woodland, yelling his comrades name until his voice was raw and he coughed up specs of blood.

Finally, he reached an ominously shaded clearing. He dropped to one knee over a mound of dirt. Sweat dripped from his face and seeped into the freshly uprooted earth. This mound must have been constructed recently, but Kakuzu saw no importance the pile could hold. Disappointed and frustrated, Kakuzu buried his face in his hands. Then he heard the fragile voice. "Hello..?' it said, a broken muffled cry. "Is anyone there..? Help me.. I'm so cold..." the disoriented voice continued its pitiful plea. Kakuzu instantly recognized that pathetic voice. Hidan was buried in the earth beneath him. It wasn't until the Kakuzu noticed the dry blood that painted the ground and trees a sickly shade of red.

"Hidan!" Kakuzu yelled into the ground. It took a moment, which seemed like an eternity to Kakuzu, but Hidan responded. "Who is it? Jashin-sama?..are you here to take me home?" Kakuzu began clawing at the dirt. "No, Hidan. I'm not your God and you aren't going anywhere." It took a minute for the voice above to register in Hidan's mind, but he pinpointed the voice. "Kakuzu?" He said. Kakuzu began digging at a more rapid pace. The sadist saw his blood begin to stain the dirt he so desperately clawed at. "Yeah its me." he responded. "Just hang on.." Kakuzu wasn't a pious man like his partner, but he prayed to whatever deity watched over all. _Please, _he prayed. _Please let it not be too late._


	2. Chapter 2

Cold. And dark. Hidan was unsure of how much time had passed, but it seemed like a lifetime ago since the earth collapsed on him. That Nara kid had tricked him. Hidan thought he had finished the boy, but instead he reaped one of five of his Kakuzu's hearts. Then Hidan had been wrapped in layers of paper bombs and blown to bits. The boys remark constantly replayed in his mind. "..._And that stupid Lord Jashin isn't your god anymore; I am. And I'm passing judgment on to you!" _Hidan scowled as the words rand through his mind. But now, being stuck down here like this, Hidan didn't really know what to believe. Jashin-sama hadn't come yet, and Hidan was questioning if his Lord ever would. _Of course he will! Lord Jashin shall rescue all his children, so long as they have not betrayed their Father._ Hidan recalled the canto of rescue from the Jashinist Bible. But when would his Savior arrive?

The cold earth choked him, and he feared what dwelled in its depths. What if the insects ate at his severed limbs, and sought refuge in his hollow bones after they devoured his marrow? The thought terrified him. He felt as though his lord had abandoned him. He lost count of how many prayers he said, and he knew he was losing it. Hidan frequently thought of his partner. The merciless miser was fighting a group of Konoha shinobi. Many questions swarmed Hidan's mind. _Did you die?__ No, you were too strong for that. Did you abandon me for a new partner? Probably, I know you hated me, but did you have to leave me to rot? _

Now he was hearing voices. Kakuzu's voice, to be exact. Hidan knew he was rowing more delirious with each passing minute. He hoped that Kakuzu was there, trying to rescue him, rather than this being some cruel mirage formed by his own delusional prayers. Still, Hidan clung to the shred of faith he still had and uttered his final prayer. _Let this not be an illusion, _he silently begged, not speaking because he knew the rank earth would cascade into his already dry mouth. _And if this is a product of my mind, please let death come swiftly. _

And so he waited, not sure if his comrade was up above and trying to reach him or he just wanted to believe the stitched nin would save him. Kakuzu could be a greedy prick sometimes, but Hidan liked being around him. Even though he risked getting his ass kicked, Hidan always teased his comrade. Not just cause it was amusing, but actually having someone to say that to was a comfort to Hidan because it meant he wasn't alone. Kakuzu was dark and mysterious, and he head piqued Hidan's interest. And, deep down, Hidan yearned to have a serious talk with Kakuzu; not just the usual insults or whines, but to actually talk with him, especially now.

Ever since the two shinobi first met, the same feeling struck Hidan no matter how much he denied it. All the words he never said and all the things he wanted to do haunted him. It was killing him, but no in this moment of torture, only three words were clear to him. "Kakuzu," he whispered. "I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was setting fast. Shades of orange mixed and painted the horizon as the red sun began leaving the hemisphere. Kakuzu had to hurry. He wouldn't be able work right without daylight. The hours of digging had peeled away the skin on his hands. Grime and dirt packed deep into his open flesh, opening a door for infection, but Kakuzu refused to give up. God, he was so tired. His veins felt like they had turned to led and his muscles cramped, clenching so tight that Kakuzu had to bare his teeth together to prevent a cry of pain from escaping his lips. A dull ache settled in his tense jaw and a sweat dried on his dirty face.

He weakly wiped the dirt away with trembling hands. He could no longer claw at the dirt; his fingers locked up painfully, refusing to move fluently. He felt so defeated. Kakuzu felt like crying, but couldnt. He never cried, and even if he wanted to, he was too dehydrated. He had even stopped sweating at some point. Now he was getting severe vertigo spells. On top of all that, he hadn't heard a call from Hidan in hours. Did he die? No that couldn't be it.. could it?

Just when Kakuzu was ready to abandon all hope, his hand brushed some material. It felt sleek, so it couldn't be a rock. After wiping the dirt away, he saw that it was a lock of silver hair. A new refined will powered him to dig. Despite the exhaustion, despite the pain, despite the blood that ran fresh on the earth as the dirt tore at the raw inner flesh beneath the surface of now shredded skin, he dug on. And finally, he had unearthed Hidan's head.

Relief washed over him, but it was short lived. Hidan was unconscious and, upon further digging, Kakuzu saw that his head had been severed from the rest of his body. Hidan's body had been torn apart and scattered, like a dismembered ragdoll. Kakuzu caressed Hidan's head, tryin to wipe away some of the dirt and blood that painted his face. The priests lips were a light shade of blue, dark circles shadowed his closed eyes, and he was even paler than usual.

Something in Kakuzu's chest tightened. Seeing his partner like this pained him. The miser climbed out of the depression in the earth and gently placed Hidan's head on a patch of grass. The priests' eyelids fluttered open. The once striking magenta orbs of persistent light were now dulled with exhaustion and confusion. "Kakuzu..?" he whispered, squinting as his eyes tried to adapt to the sudden intake of light. Kakuzu grazed Hidan's jawline with his fingers. "Yeah its me. Hidan, where is the rest of your body?" Exhaustion glazed the masochists eyes. "Um, I think its all down there..somewhere..." and then his eyes fell shut once more. Kakuzu's fists clenched and unclenched. "Just hang on." he said before jumping back into the crater.

When his feet hi the ground, his legs gave way. He fumbled to his knees and slammed his hands down to prevent falling face first into the dirt. Kakuzu let out an unintended cry of pain as a fresh shockwave of searing pain exploded in his raw hands. His teeth were clenched so tight, Kakuzu wouldn't be surprised if his teeth cracked under the pressure. He looked up to the sky. Daylight was dieing fast. He had to move with haste. Inhaling a heavy gulp of air, he proceeded in his laborious task.


	4. Chapter 4

From an opposing view point, Kakuzu figured he must look utterly insane. Dirty, bloody, and bruised, six feet down in a hole searching for a dismembered body. He shuddered in disgust when his hands brushed over chunks of warm shredded flesh. It took some time before he actually found a whole limb. First, he found Hidan's right arm. The arm had terrible burn wounds and smelled horrid. Kakuzu assumed by the intensifying, stomach wrenching stench of rotting organs that Hidan had been down here for a couple days at least. But the smell also meant he was closer to his partners body.

_Shit, shit, shit, _he thought to himself. The miser had to find and reattach an entire cadaver before nightfall, and the light of sun was quickly dwindling away. He still had to find another arm, two legs, a torso, and a few severed fingers or toes. The arm he just unearthed was missing its thumb and pinkie. "Fuck!" Kakuzu yelled to no one and tossed the limb over the lip of the crater. He heard a dull thud as the arm fell on the elevated ground. There was no time to lose.

Digging with mangled hands, he soon found the left arm, but the hand was detached at the wrist. Kakuzu hope the shoulder blades were attached to whatever remained of the torso. He threw the arm up to higher ground and searched on. Fatigue was weighing him down. Fresh splatters of blood were followed by a disgusting squelching noise as his shoes fell on hulls of scattered flesh, but he then found the missing hand. Unfortunately, it was missing all fingers besides the thumb. The miser quickly chucked the hand onto the elevated land and resumed his hunt. Crawling and digging feverishly, he stumbled upon an index finger under rubble. The metal ring reading the kanji for three was lodged onto the appendage. The ring was a certification item for all elite Akatsuki members. Blood smeared and dried on the ring, and Kakuzu could see the bone peeking out of the opening in the detached finger.

He couldn't risk losing the small fragment of the body, so he grotesquely shove the finger into his pocket. The warmth of blood on his thigh made him shudder. His stomach wrenched in nausea, but he almost had all the pieces to this "puzzle". As he ran and dug through the rank pit, he unveiled the other fingers, also crammed into his pocket, a whole left leg and the right thigh. Tossing the body parts to lay with the rest, he proceeded to find both feet with all toes attached, and after throwing those over the pit, he finally found half of Hidan's torso.

The abdomen was cut off at the belly button and the organs were spilling out of the hole in the open flesh. Kakuzu forced the organs back into the cadaver and propped the body piece onto his arm to prevent the innards from slipping out as he climbed six feet out of the pit. Kakuzu couldn't suppress a gag as he placed the decaying carcass on the ground. He forced the acidic bile back down his throat. Yes, he had opened many chest cavities to reap hearts, and yes, he had dismembered his fair share of bodies, but between the smell and the fact that his partners body was practically falling apart in his hands made him want to puke.

Kakuzu cast a sad glance at the priests' severed head. His eyes were still closed, so Kakuzu hesitated not a moment longer and went to fetch the lower half of the torso. Once he found that piece, he raced out of the hole, desperately trying to give his starved lungs the air he needed. Night had begun to settle in. The sky was bleached shades of royal blue and the chilling night breeze rustled the trees. It would be damn near impossible to do this in the dark, but Kakuzu had no choice.

Dropping to his knees, the sadist took the fingers out of his pocket, recoiling at the feel of the warm wetness. Kakuzu observed the pieces of the body. _The head is the only source of energy. The other pieces will rot unless attached, so I should fix the torso, attach the head, then the rest will fall into place,_ he thought hastily. He pulled the two pieces of abdomen to his side. The organs had begun turning a slight shade of grey. Kakuzu quickly reset the organs in the body as efficiently as possible. The organs were heavy and slimy, and the bodily fluid burned the open flesh of Kakuzu's hands. Summoning all his chakra forth, he used his tendrils to begin sewing the body together and pulled all other parts to him.

The tendrils that slithered from his body reattached the body while Kakuzu snapped broken bones into place with slick, bloody hands. He was certain a few fingers were placed on the wrong hand and the body looked even more butchered than before, but he was relieved that Hidan was in one piece again. Kakuzu stood and picked his partner off the ground. Despite Hidan's light weight, Kakuzu struggled to keep a grip on the masochist.

The miser lay his comrade under the shelter of a tall oak tree. It wasn't until then Kakuzu noticed that Hidan was completely naked. Heat flushed over Kakuzu's face. He couldn't let the man run around like this. Sighing, Kakuzu stripped off his shirt and carefully slipped it onto Hidan's frame. The shirt was big on the smaller man, but it covered him. Kakuzu used the white wrap of cloth that belted his shirt to cover Hidan's manhood. He needed to clean both their wounds as soon as possible.

He rose to his feet, but tripped over nothing, reluctantly catching himself on a tree. With his power rush gone and dizziness intensifying, all the forgotten pain rushed back to him. His fingers dug into the rough bark and fresh blood trickled down his hands. The pain kept him in reality, but he was slipping away. Kakuzu pressed his back to the tree and slid into a sitting position. The sky was a blanket of cold darkness. Small pinpricks of light spread through the dark and the radiant moon spilled light upon the blackened trees. The sky swirled and twisted before Kakuzu's eyes. He let out a few dry heaves, unable to vomit, and leaned his head back against the tree, thus falling into the deepest slumber of his life.


	5. Chapter 5

Hidan rose a hand to his throbbing head. God his head hurt so fucking bad. With each racking pulse, pain radiated further and drilled into his skull, but at least he felt like he could breath a bit easier. He inhaled the crisp, delicious air. Then everything rushed back to him. Kakuzu! Hidan sat up and his eyes shot open. He looked at himself. Stitches laced his body together and he recognized the cloth draped over him as Kakuzu's shirt. He was out of the ground. He could move and see the somber grey sky looming overhead.

Kakuzu HAD saved him! A large grin split Hidan's face. He was saved. "Kakuzu!" he called joyously, but his smile withered away when he turned and saw his partner. Kakuzu was slumped over against a tree, covered in grime and blood. He looked so weak. Hidan quickly crawled over to the injured nin, but he moved cautiously. The stitches were still fresh and could break at the slightest jerk. He lightly cupped Kakuzu's face in his hands and carefully lifted the misers head. His cheeks were hollowed and he looked as though he had aged several years. Kakuzu was 91, but he never looked that age in the slightest. He was incredibly fit and his physical appearance looked as though he were in his thirties. Now he looked forty or fifty.

His entire body was ravaged, but the sight of the sadists hands made Hidan gasp. Skin torn and hanging from the raw meat of his hands, decorated in caked dirt. Unable to move hardly himself, much less able to carry Kakuzu around, and unable to muster any ideas, Hidan crawled into Kakuzu's lap and stared at him. Seeing the steady rise and fall of Kakuzu's chest eased Hidan's nerves a little, but they both needed immediate medical care.

Then the overcast grey sky brought down its cold, numbing deluge. The piercing drops of water didn't help the situation. "Jashin-damned weather!" Hidan yelled at the vast emptiness overhead. "Fuck it all to hell.." Kakuzu couldn't just sit out in the rain like this. The priest took his comrade into his arms and held the stitched nin close. He could never tell Kakuzu his true feelings, he would be beaten half to death for that. _But if he saved me, he must not hate me that much, right? _Hidan wondered.

The small breaths that escaped Kakuzu's lips electrified Hidan's skin and sent chills down his spine. The older mans head rested on the hollow of Hidans collar bone, and though his flesh was cold, the heat of secret desire warmed Hidan at the touch of Kakuzu's bare skin. As he held the injured shinobi, a sense of strength welled inside Hidan. Now he understood why Konan tried to protect Pain, or why Kisame hovered over Itachi. It felt good, being able to protect someone you cared for. All Hidan wanted was to have the man he secretly loved since first crossed paths, and having that man in his arms fueled his desire even more.

Hardly thinking, Hidan lay Kakuzu back against the tree and caressed his stitch-laced cheek in one hand. The heat that radiated from his cheek warmed Hidan's icy hand, but this meant Kakuzu had a fever. Hidan swore under his breath. The albino trailed his hand down, his fingers tracing the veins and creases in Kakuzu's neck before exploring the contours of the older mans chest. Kakuzu was very lean and well built, his skin taut and body defined over the mass of muscles that powered his body. In his dazed trance, temptation willed Hidan to touch all of the tanned mans body. Should he? He wasn't sure. But still...

"Having fun?" a voice asked. A deep, serious tone that was all to familiar to Hidan. Kakuzu was awake. And Hidan's hands were still splayed across Kakuzu's exposed frame.

A wave of heat washed over Hidan's face as a deep blush colored his pallor. He squeamishly jerked his hands away, earning a sly chuckle from his stitched partner. "Judging by the look on your face, I take it you were." Kakuzu added, a taunting gleam in his tired eyes. "Shut your damned mouth!" Hidan barked indignantly. "I was just...checking your vital signs!" Kakuzu smirked. "Well at least your awake."

Hidan fell silent for a moment, taken aback by Kakuzu's attitude. Hidan thought he'd be back down in that Godforsaken pit by now. The ongoing silence made the air thick and unsettling, so Kakuzu spoke again. "Don't freeze on me now; I saved your sorry ass, now you need to do the same for me." Hidan rose to his feet and took the misers hand. "I guess I owe you this much," the priest said as he helped his comrade to his feet. Hidan draped Kakuzu's arm over his shoulders and placed one hand one the small of Kakuzu's back. "Don't get any ideas with your hand so low down," the string nin continued to tease.

"I said shut your god damned hole!" Hidan spat. Kakuzu had missed Hidan's retorts, even though they had only been separated for a short amount of time. Just the realization that Hidan could have disappeared from his life really hit Kakuzu. He never knew he would feel so empty without his little zealot at his side, and Hidan was consumed by that same feeling. The Jashinist couldn't imagine a world without Kakuzu, nor did he want too. Now that the two were reunited, both men felt comforted. _Maybe, _Kakuzu and Hidan thought simultaneously_, Just maybe criminals are meant to find love, one way or another._


	6. Chapter 6

The two outlaws made their way through the dense woodland, bearing one anothers weight too keep balance. Both Akatsuki were on their last legs. Contacting their leader was top priority. Hidan was worried about Kakuzu. The Nara kids words rang in his head. _You see, the blood on your spike isn't mine; its your partners. _ Back in the Nara forest were he had been dismembered, Hidan had attempted to kill the shadow wielder. The boy played possum and tricked Hidan. Apparently the Konohagakure nin had a vial of Kakuzu's blood so, consequently, when Hidan activated the Blood Rite Curse, he unknowingly devoured his partners blood and became a voodoo-like vessel linked to Kakuzu. This ability was given to only the most devout Jashinists, along with the blessing of immortality. Upon stabbing his heart, Hidan had believed that he had slayed his opponent, but in reality, he reaped Kakuzu of one of his hearts. The shadow brat had seen the affects of the jutsu when his mentor, the 35 million ryo bounty, had been killed by the Curse. In a matter of minutes, Shikamaru had figured out all aspects toward the activation of the Curse and the requirements. Using this knowledge, the tactician had fooled Hidan and used paper bombs to scatter the immortals limbs, then proceeding to bury Hidan in a custom grave.

Kakuzu was closer to immortality than any one when it came to natural resources, without divine intervention. The miser had found a way to prolong his life without medicines or a God. All was done by his hand and plotted by his mind. Reaping hearts was the way. Having five lives along with his immense power and insightful mindset, virtually nothing was a serious threat to Kakuzu. Thats why Hidan was so stressed. How could his partner come so close to defeat? Were the leaf ninja that powerful? But Kakuzu could take down an army singlehandedly if he wanted to. What happened? Hidan would have to ask later. For now, he only had to know one thing. "Kakuzu," Hidan said, worry weighing on his chest and straining his hoarse throat. "Yeah?" Kakuzu replied. He sounded no better, if not worse, than Hidan. Blinking slowly and trying to brace himself for the answer, Hidan asked the pressing question.

"How many hearts do you have left?" Kakuzu's jade green eyes fell to the ground. Rain beat down on the two. Crystalline droplets fell from the tips of Kakuzu's bangs, illuminating his darkened eyes. In contrast, Hidan's magenta eyes were bright and brimmed with worry. Kakuzu caught a drop of rain on his tongue as he licked his lips, then mumbled the word "One". Kakuzu glanced at Hidan. The masochist hadn't heard him, so after a moment, he repeated himself more clearly. "I have one." The rain suddenly became much colder on Hidan's pale skin as he blanched. One? How the hell had that happened? What exactly happened? A million thoughts and emotions raged inside Hidan. He didn't know what to do. Kakuzu saw the color drain from his partners face and a distant look in his clouded eyes. In response, he lightly gripped Hidan's shoulder. "Hey, I'm still alive, aren't I? I just need to rest, then I'll get more hearts. Its no big deal." But Kakuzu didn't know of the guilt that squeezed Hidan's heart. He had taken one of those hearts, and enjoyed it. Since Jashinists feel ecstasy when inflicting pain on themselves, Hidan had almost dropped to his knees under the pressure of the sexual thrill. Now, he felt horrid for such a thing. Even if he hadn't known that he was killing his love, Hidan couldn't suppress the guilt that gnawed at his belly. How could he tell Kakuzu it was his fault? All Hidan wanted was to be closer to the miser. Telling him this could set them even farther apart, even to the point of no possible reconciliation.

The possible outcomes terrified Hidan, but surely Kakuzu felt the effect of the curse. What did Kakuzu think happened? Hidan cautiously and hesitantly asked another question. "How did you lose the other four? Hearts, I mean."

"The first one, well you know what happened. Kakashi and the Raikiri. The second time, I'm not sure. Just some unseen force hit me. I felt my heart bleed out in my chest. I dont know if that was one of their jutsus or something went wrong in my body." When Kakuzu said this, Hidan had to keep his body sturdy when the guilt threatened to make his body tremble and push him down. Hidan couldn't tell if it was tears or the rain that stung his eyes. Kakuzu carried on. "The last thing took out two of my hearts. A technique made of condensed chakra and concentrated wind, created by the Kyuubi jinchuriki. I believe it was called 'Rasen-Shuriken.'"

Hidan couldn't believe one jutsu knocked out two hearts. "How the hell did you survive?" he asked. "Pain's body double jutsu." Kakuzu replied somewhat blandly. "As long as I'm still breathing, that's all that matters." Hidan nodded slightly, but he couldn't stop thinking about his partners repeated deaths. Didn't he know how painful it was to watch your loved one die over and over? Even if he came back from deaths door, it was hard for Hidan to watch Kakuzu die, especially being unable to speak his true feelings. What if Kakuzu died not knowing of Hidan's love? All the words left unsaid...

Swallowing hard, Hidan forced himself to speak. He fought to keep a calm, casual tone. "Kakuzu, about that second thing... That was my bad." Kakuzu halted, making Hidan stop with him. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, his eyes blank but serious as they met Hidan's. Chills raced up Hidan's spine, but he managed an uncertain smirk, as to up play his usual brash attitude. "I said it was my bad that you died that one time. You know how my rituals work, and the shadow bastard tricked me with your blood, so yeah. Sorry." Kakuzu's crushing gaze didn't waver. Instead of talking, Kakuzu continued walking, practically dragging Hidan along. After a moment, Hidan became frustrated. "Oi, I said I was fucking sorry. What more do ya want?" Kakuzu kept his eyes locked on the road ahead. "Its kind of hard to forgive someone for killing you."

"It was an accident!" Hidan barked, but it sounded more like a pained wail. Kakuzu shook his head, drops of rain flung from the tips of his drenched hair. "Whatever. Its all over now. I'll get a new one." Kakuzu's clipped replies stung. It just upset Hidan even more. The air seemed to crackle around them. Hidan went to speak, but just then, pain exploded in the base of his leg. Crying out, he stumbled and lost his grip on his partner. Kakuzu fell face down and struck his head on a rock. "Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled, tugging at the kunai embedded in his leg. Once the weapon was freed, Hidan limped over to Kakuzu and rolled the malicious miser over onto his stitch-laced back. Blood poured from the gash on his head, and he had fallen unconscious.

Hidan grimaced, then turned to face the assailants. There were two unkempt men standing under the hallowing shade of the trees. One man was tall and lanky, his hay thin hair plastered to his head and around the frame of his wiry jaw. The other man was just as skinny but more emaciated. Grey stubble colored his blanch jawline and his coarse sepia hair was tied in a shoddy ponytail. "Are you sure about this?" The skinnier man asked. "They don't look worth much." His partner replied "Yes I'm sure. Either way, their our next meal ticket. We won't be denied if we bring some sort of carcass."

Judging by their words, Hidan wondered if the men operated under the order of the Black Market. Kakuzu had been associated with that group for God knows how long. Hunting and cashing in bounties was the Akatsuki's greatest source of income, and Kakuzu was the treasurer. But all that didn't matter right now. Hidan could hardly move or he would literally fall apart, and Kakuzu was unconscious, but Hidan knew the situation was dire. Gripping the kunai, dripping with his blood, Hidan lunged at the two hunters.

Hidan aimed as accurately as possible and swung at the emptier man. Though his bones clung tight to the skin, the man was fairly quick and strong. His brittle elbow struck Hidan's jaw and blood spurted from Hidan's mouth. Reluctantly, the masochist held his ground and managed to land a gash on the mans leg. His cold skin tore as easily as paper and the red substance that poured down warmed the flesh. In that split second of recuperation, Hidan quickly went to pierce the mans kidney, but a crippling blow to the temple sent Hidan back as the wiry mans bony knee connected.

A deafening ring drowned out the sounds of falling rain and the akatsuki's pupils dilated as they tried to regain focus through the blurred mix of colors. Hidan saw the faded outline of his enemies against a grey background. Before he had a chance to regain his senses, Hidan was picked up off the ground. He wasn't sure which man was suspending him in the air or which one held the katana, but he saw the glint of light on the piercing steel blade that promised his demise. As the blade came forward, Hidan was able to maneuver his lower torso away in a painful twist that broke several stitches. The sword ended up stabbing the owners partner and Hidan was released as the man cried out in pain. Still holding tight to the knife, the jashinist swung blindly at the enemy in front of him. He felt the force of tearing skin reverberate throught the steel and up his arm. Blinking hard, his magenta eyes focused again. The hay-haired man was slouched over, pressing a dank piece of cloth to the gouge in his thigh.

A sharp clanging sound of thin metal rang through the dense air. The emaciated hunter had drawn senbon needles, dripping with a sickly violet colored substance, and was aiming at Kakuzu. _NO,_ Hidan shrieked in his mind as he leapt into the air just as the the slivers of metal were hurled toward their target. Hidan was struck by the needles as he shielded his comatose partner, but the act of selfless valor was all to no avail. A stray needle had embedded itself in Kakuzu's chest, the purple liquid pouring directly through the pinprick and into his heart. Tendrils squirmed out of a gash on his collarbone in a sort of automatic self-defense tactic, but the writhing tendrils couldn't get a grip on the foreign object and soon fell listless on Kakuzu's chest. The sight resembled a tattered rag-doll whose strings were stretched at the seams.

"Kakuzu..!" Hidan called out pointlessly. The two rogues were closing in, ready to reap their prize. Spattered with mud and blood, Hidan picked himself up with the new rush of adrenaline that made his blood boil. Salty tears threatened to capsize his dark eyelids. Now, he didn't care if the stitched snapped and he fell apart. All Hidan needed was his mouth to bite their throats out. Thirsting for blood and revenge for his fallen love, Hidan gave into the venomous savagery that plagued the true being of man. His eyes were blinded by a bright red, but his subconscious mind moved his body fluently like an adroit puppet master controlling a marionette. Hidan felt flesh tear, scraggly hair in his bloody palms, and heard agonized screams. When the red light ebbed away, Hidan saw the extent of his work.

The starved man's head had been bashed in on a tree. His brains decorated the nature around him in a brilliant scarlet mingled with hulls of his brain. The cadaver of his body was twisted in a horrid way; his spine seemed to twist, his back raised above the ground and held up by erect legs. His slumped shoulders were turned painfully in the opposite direction of his legs and the traces of his demise stood out against the pallor of his battered body. Broken ribs that were already so easy to see under his hanging skin stretched the flesh taut as they pressed up further and the darkening yellow and purple bruises were the only thing that colored his snow white body. The other thin haired man now had patches of hair missing from his scalp. His left cheek was ripped appallingly from open mouth to his ear. The hull of meaty flesh hung loosely on weak threads of skin, exposing the entire left side of his mouth. Blood stained his disgusting yellow hole filled teeth. His neck was broken, eyes opened forever painted in a look of fear, mouth agape. Claw marks sliced him open and blood steadily flowed from his dead body. Just like his partner, lacerations and bruises decorated his hollow body.

Upon further examining himself, Hidan saw the blood and hair that was caked under his nails and felt the fragments of grey matter that slid down his face. Several lines of stitching had broken and began bleeding with some tissue dribbling out, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. Hidan smirked coldly in satisfaction. Though his work was usually much more elegant and beautifully haunting for Jashin-sama, this mangled mess would suffice for now. Regaining his senses, he whirled around and caught another eyeful of his love. He ran to Kakuzu's side, then fell to his knees. Tear formed again, and this time they leaked from his eyes. Despite his injured state, Kakuzu looked painstakingly peaceful. The priest pulled the accursed needle out of Kakuzu's chest and touched the rag-doll nin's chest. He was so cold... Hidan pressed his forehead to Kakuzu's. This couldn't be the end. Not yet.

Though his chest was motionless as he inhaled, weak breaths of air escaped the misers lips and fell warm on Hidan's pale face. There was still hope. Hidan instantly knew what he had to do. His hand hovered to the line of stitching laced over his chest. He inhaled deeply, knowing the significance of time. _An eye for an eye, I suppose._ He thought, then used the fingers on both hands to probe at the incision over his heart. He hooked his fingers inside, then pulled the skin in opposite directions. Stitches snapped loudly and Hidan's cry echoed through the vacant woodland. Shakily, he forced a hand into himself. He soon discovered his ribcage was in the way. Gripping two ribs, one in each hand, he broke the bones so he had access to his heart. His throat went raw as his blood curdling screams tore him from the inside. The bones were cracked and the sound was like thunder that echoed far into the forest. Once his yells died down to painful whimpers and gasping grunts, he pushed his hand in deeper. He felt his rapidly beating heat pulsed in his trembling hand, but he couldn't turn back now. Kakuzu was worth the pain. Without another thought, he yanked the heart from his body. He bit through his lip and the metallic tang of blood washed freshly through his mouth.

Black dots and swirling silver lines were beginning to cloud his vision. He was on the verge of passing out. Quickly, he hooked the fingers of his free hand over the lip of the stitched lining of Kakuzu's chest and opened the miser. Under his tan skin, the muscles contorted in pain. That at least let Hidan Know Kakuzu was in a somewhat receptive state of being. Pushing through a mass of grey tendrils, Hidan forced his still beating heart into his dying partner. Once the heart was in Kakuzu's open cavity, the heart strings still connected them, and Hidan teased the thought of that connection. Them sharing a heart that beat in perfect synchronization. Snapping out of his daydreams, the masochist tore the lines of blood-conveying muscle out of his body and pushed the rope-like flesh into Kakuzu. Fresh blood poured down his chest grotesquely as the flesh was ripped out of its original placing. He then pushed the lines in to his partners motionless body. Reluctantly, the tendrils took the heart and worked to incorporate the new accommodation into Kakuzu's body.

Hidan was relieved, but he had no time to be happy. Excessive blood loss and exhaustion soon dragged him into the same comatose state as Kakuzu, but not before one final thought crossed his mind. _Kakuzu, I love you..._ And so Hidan then fell into blackness, Kakuzu's face still pictured freshly in his mind


	7. Chapter 7

The lenient stroke of rain was the first sensation that struck him. It was a chilling rain that seeped down to the bone. His eyes shot open when a crippling pain exploded in his chest. For a moment, Kakuzu was sure his last heart was constricting so tightly it was on the verge of bursting. A dismal blue-grey sky seemed to lay just inches from his face. So close, it seemed, that Kakuzu felt claustrophobic, reminding him of those days in prison. Shackled helplessly to the wall of the small room, paranoia and phobia were Kakuzu's only companions. All at once the miser remembered what happened before he was rendered unconscious. Hidan was supporting him as they waded through the mud-slicked trail, but for some reason Hidan had lost his grip and Kakuzu fell. Judging by his vision rattling headache, Kakuzu figured he must have hit his head on a rock or log of sorts. But where was Hidan now?

Kakuzu sat up and immediately caught sight of the gore that took place directly in front of him as he rested in his comatose state. Two men had been savagely beaten and killed, presumably by Hidan's hand. It was obvious that they had been ambushed. Sitting up proved to be a foolish mistake. Hacking coughs racked his body, choking him with bloody phlegm. He spat the foul, thick fluid into the the grass and observed the area where his most overwhelming pain lay dormant. Traces of freshly spilled blood were barely visible but visible all the same. Also, the shinobi noticed that, despite his injuries, he felt a sense of renewed strength empowering him. Kakuzu craned his head to the right and saw Hidan next to him, face down and stooped in crimson mud. The older man crawled closer to his lesser and took the limp body into his arms, flipping Hidan over to see his face as he lifted the pale man. Hidan's ghostly skin emphasized the blue tint of his lips and black shadows under his closed eyes. Kakuzu's oddly colored eyes widened when they fell to the jashinist's chest. A jagged fissure opened above where his heart lay. He needed to examine the wound further. Carefully, Kakuzu pushed his hand into the open cavity. The flesh was hallowed and the ribs broken out of place. Where the body's most vital organ should lay, there was only more emptiness in its place. Kakuzu withdrew his hand, taking notice of the angling and condition of the wound. The procedure was done sloppily, as if in haste. When Kakuzu saw the dry blood that gloved Hidan's hand, he understood.

Hidan had given him his heart. The gesture stunned Kakuzu into paralysis when the reality dawned on him. Hidan, the hardheaded masochistic brat that drove Kakuzu mad with anger and annoyance yet whom he had secretly cared for, had saved his life. Kakuzu's hand rose to hover over his chest. He had become so still that he felt Hidan's heart pulse inside. Kakuzu couldn't help but entertain the thought of the symbolism this act might hold. What if Hidan did in fact love him? What if this was the priests way of admitting?

The senior shook the thoughts away and focused on stitching Hidan's chest. A grey tendril wriggled out of his arm and pierced pale, porcelain flesh and soon closed the ugly wound. Kakuzu cradled his partner in his arms. He held Hidan close to him. Kakuzu could just barely feel the shallow breathing that escaped the zealots lips on the nape of his neck. Unsure of why he felt compelled to do what happened next, the urge was to much for Kakuzu to ignore. Slowly, he pulled his arms back to see Hidan's blank, paled face. Holding the masochists' head firm with one hand, Kakuzu drew closer and closer until the gap in their lips was closed. The younger mans lips were cold and wet from the rain, but heat spread from Kakuzu's lips and throughout the rest of his face. It was a dull, lifeless kiss. Kakuzu was to worried Hidan would wake up during this, and besides, he'd much rather move his lips with Hidan's in a passionate dance than kiss him desperately with no sort of reply.

Kakuzu drew back as slowly as he had drawn in. Kakuzu didn't understand how yesterday this man, who lay practically dead in his arms, was nothing more than a burden of secret yearning that teased him as he carried on in his brooding ways to becoming the man who had saved his life and actually protected him from danger. Were the ever changing tides of love really that drastic in change? Kakuzu sighed silently to himself. The human heart is such a complex thing. He never understood it, though he had experience with the vessel many times throughout the years. _Strange, yet having so much time with it, I don't understand it at all. _Kakuzu thought to himself. Maybe somethings were truly unexplainable, no meaning, just a rhyme.

Shaking away his philosophical thoughts, Kakuzu picked himself up off the ground and scooped Hidan into his arms. The silver haired man lay in the misers arms, cuddled into Kakuzu's chest like a child. Knowing they had to flee this land as quickly as their injured bodies would move, Kakuzu moved in great haste. His steps were shaky, but he kept on solid ground. He needed to find some sort of shelter, whether it be an inn or a rundown shed. Anything away from the rain and that gave them a place to rest. The compact woods made no promise of a housing facility in it solemn depths. Konoha was famous for living among the trees, so Kakuzu didn't give up all hope. It wouldn't be surprising to find a house here despite the conditions. Kakuzu's assumptions were soon proven true; he soon stumbled upon a small house in a small chunk of open land. A trail that led from the front door linked back to the trees as a road of sorts, probably leading to a town nearby. It was risky place to seek refuge if Kakuzu was right, but it was their only option.

He crept to the house, not a step sounding in the softened grass, and leaned Hidan against the outer wall of the wooden home as he skillfully used a thin tendril to go inside the open lock and unlatch the securing metal. The lock opened quietly, and Kakuzu let himself in. He observed the small vicinity, his eyes taking notice of every nook and cranny in the walls. No signs of people here. Silent as a shadow and as swift as an eagle, he made his way down the hall to find two doors. Upon opening the first door, the outlaw discovered a bathroom, so he concluded that the next room was the living quarters. He silently slipped into the room and found a lone bed in the center, a figure laying amongst crumpled bedsheets. Kakuzu crept over to the person. It was a woman, no more than twenty years of age if Kakuzu guessed right. her mottled brown hair was splayed over the pillow she rested her head on. She must be a civilian; no presence of chakra emanated from her. Mercilessly, he used a hand to brush the her out of her youthful face and used a tendril to pierce her temple slowly, then proceeded to push another mass of jiongu into her cranium. Her breathing soon stopped as she slipped away into death. He didn't bother to take her heart for she had no chakra to give. Kakuzu decided to save the heart for Hidan. He needed the blood source, and as long as his head was intact, he could make any organ function no matter what condition it may be in.

At that moment, heavy foot steps sounded down the hall as a man slammed into the doorway of were the dead woman lay in his furious running. Before he could say a word, Kakuzu gracefully turned to him, raised his arm, and sent a mass of piercing tendrils from his arm as thought the limb were a crossbow firing an arrow. The spear of grey lodged between his eyes and he was dead before he hit the ground. This man did have chakra, but he was foolish. He must have seen Hidan and noticed the opened door, yet he burst in to confront the intruder, but met death instead. Kakuzu stepped carefully over the dead man and went to retrieve Hidan. Nothing moved around the house. All was silent except the pitter-patter of rain. Hidan sat there, just as Kakuzu had left him. The tan shinobi took the paler man into his arms, shut and locked the door to their temporary home, and took him back to the bedroom. Kakuzu lay Hidan next to the dead woman. Sighing in exhaustion, Kakuzu grabbed the girl by her shirt collar and painfully slung her over his shoulder. Though she was a fairly petite woman, the weight was a lot to bear at the moment. Still, he managed to drag and conceal both bodies in the basement. Kakuzu locked the door and returned to Hidan. His partner was still out of it, and Kakuzu assumed he would remain that way for a while longer.

He began to assess his priorities. Rest was definitely needed, and soon. And a bit to eat didn't sound half bad either. But upon viewing his physical appearance, he soon concluded he needed a shower. Now. The grime of his trials shown obvious on his body; dried blood of his own and Hidan's, mud darkening his already tan skin, numerous dirt-caked cuts and bruises, and the stench of decay from his partners rotting body and fluids smelled wretched. Grimacing, he found the bathroom was connected to the bedroom. Thankful for the short distance, he made his way to the restroom and shut the door behind him. Kakuzu had always maintained personal hygiene. He didn't mind the usual blood letting or anything, but this was repugnant. He stripped himself of his battered, filthy clothes and cranked the shower on full force hot. He stepped cautiously under the water, almost crying out as the sudden heat seeped into his open wounds. The nin soon became accustomed to the scalding water and reached for a washcloth and soap. Once the cloth was lathered, he vigorously scrubbed himself.

As usual, half way through his cleaning, Kakuzu's aged mind began to wander. His rough scrubbing died down to halfhearted grazing. His mind was intent on thoughts of the man that lay in the next room. What would happen after this? Would it all go back to normal? Or had these recent events changed them both? If so, was it for better, or for worst? He mused over all the possibilities. He knew he would never have a fairytale happiness. No warm smiles and gentle kisses everyday. No, that would never happen. Even if he were to find love, it would never be an easy relationship, especially with that air-headed masochist. Still, Kakuzu couldn't deny that it would be nice to rest comfortably in the arms of another. He hadn't slept peacefully since he was imprisoned, whether it was out of harrowing dreams of just a constant sense of danger and unease. Hidan was completely faithful to his God, and passionate over what he cherishes. Would he ever act that way towards me, Kakuzu asked himself. He figured that pigs would sooner fly. But he could dream, couldn't he? Just as he always had, Kakuzu allowed himself to slip into his own world. Vast and empty, just a place for thoughts of what could have been, he entertained the thought of life in Hidan's arms. Though he knew it would never be a simple thing, the thought of embrace made Kakuzu yearn for the zealot. He wanted to be loved. Just once more in his life, he wanted someone to say that they loved him. The impossible dream was so blissful, all his senses were blocked except for his psyche as he imagined the stroke of Hidan's hand down his back. Kakuzu figured he should let things take its course. He was never too big on fate, but at this point, all he could do was watch as things fell into place by fates hand.


	8. Chapter 8

Hidan slowly opened his eyes. The dull pounding in his head blurred his vision and his mouth tasted of blood. Hidan struggled to raise his hands to his eyes and wipe away the veil that obscured his vision. Then he realized the sky was now a strange color of sepia. Had he died? No, that wasn't possible. Then what was going on? Where was Kakuzu? _Kakuzu!_

Hidan sat up straight. His body wailed in protest and made the jashinist cringe, but he had to find Kakuzu. It was obvious he was in a house, but how the hell did he get there? He and his partner were last ambushed, and they hit Kakuzu. _Then I..._ Hidan's thoughts trailed of and he raised his hand to hover over his now empty chest. Did it work? Had he saved Kakuzu? Or was he taken for ransom by the two ninja? Cold fear spilled down his spine as though Death were using it as a xylophone. Around the bed on which he lay, traces of blood dyed the floor and bed crimson. Hidan hastily, but carefully, clambered to his feet. The sound of faint snapping filled the otherwise silent room and liquid warmth trailed down his legs and back. The pious man bared his teeth. He could not run in this condition.

Then the sound of a squeaking crank rang from the only other closed door in the room besides the exit. Hidan stared wide-eyed at the door. He should try to escape, but he knows he wont get far. In the nightstand next to the bed, the masochist finds a small knife. It isn't much, but is better the nothing. Limping on light feet, he approaches the door, hoping the sound of breaking stitches doesn't reach the ears of the person in the closed vicinity. Before he has a chance to swing to the side of the door frame, the door opens abruptly.

Out steps Kakuzu, water rolling down his now clean skin and a towel draped loosely around his waist. Hidan stared dumbfound at his partner. Kakuzu faced his lesser. Instead of a snappy retort, he merely said "Well I see you are awake." Hidan gave a quick nod, still holding hi weapon. "How the hell did we end up here?" He asked, though the answer was obvious. Kakuzu shrugged. "I brought you here. I figured I shouldn't abandon your sorry ass at this point." Rage boiled inside Hidan. "Go fuck yourself! I don't need you!" At that moment, as a contradiction to his statement, his legs gave out and the akatsuki began to fall face-first. Kakuzu dashed to the side and caught his comrade just in time. Hidan blushed madly as he felt the warmth that radiated from Kakuzu.

Hidan tried to push the miser away. "I'm fine," he said through bared teeth. The senior akatsuki could feel Hidan's fresh blood flow from open skin. He grimaces. He picks up the smaller man and lays him on the bed. "What are you doing?" the silver haired man barks. Kakuzu uses the few fragments of his chakra to sew Hidan back together. He looked like a crazed patchwork doll, with blunt stitches and dressed in dry blood. Kakuzu sneers. "You look and smell horrid," he says as he stands and retreats to the restroom again. "Thanks for the pep talk, you ass!" he hears Hidan call after him.

The stitched nin sighs, sheds his towel and slips back into his tattered pants. He wets a cloth with hot water and returns to Hidan. "Sit up," Kakuzu commands. The younger man asks why, so Kakuzu sits him up himself. "Hey-!" Hidan starts, but the words die when Kakuzu begins to wash the grime off Hidan's body. Hidan's blush grew stronger with each stroke of the cloth. Though moments ago he seemed bitter, Kakuzu's touch is tender and careful, making Hidan's heart flutter. "Hey, you don't have too..." he says, but the words trail off when Kakuzu's gaze meets his own. "It's not a big deal. Just hold still."

By the time Kakuzu is done washing Hidan, the sun has begun to burn out and night rapidly approaches. Both men are ready to collapse. Both still wear Kakuzu's shoddy battle-damaged clothes but are much to tired to care for anything other than sleep. Hidan has been dozing off for the past few minutes but snaps back to a groggy awareness when Kakuzu rises from where he sat on the bed.

"Where are you going?" Hidan slurs in a sleepy voice. Kakuzu replies "To the couch. I'm tired." The man on the bed isn't sure what compels him to beg, but he really didn't want to be alone. As Kakuzu walks past the edge of the bed, Hidan grabs his wrist. "Wait...don't go." Kakuzu stops and a small blush lightens his cheeks. Was Hidan saying he wanted Kakuzu to sleep with him? Unsure of what to do, Kakuzu goes back to where he was sitting and resumes the position. Hidan carefully rolls on his side and asks Kakuzu to lay down. Hidan figured he himself were delirious, but he didn't care. Much to his surprise, Kakuzu obliged and took place next to the masochist.

They lay silent. "Why did you save me?" the jashinist asks, breaking the silence. Kakuzu considers the question for a moment, but his words are caught in his throat. Hidan carefully moves closer to Kakuzu until they were close enough to touch. Kakuzu could barely see Hidan in the fading light, but his hand found Hidan's cheek and caressed the man gently. "Kakuzu..?" Hidan whispered. Kakuzu did not reply. Instead, he locked his lips onto Hidan's. Both kissed slowly and passionately for a moment. The heat of desire seared Kakuzu's lips. They hesitantly broke away and the miser took the youth into his arms. "Good night, Hidan." he says, knowing his actions spoke louder than words ever could have. They are both lulled into a deep sleep from the warmth of each others bodies and sound of their light breathing.


	9. Chapter 9

_All he can feel is pain and numbing coldness. He does not know where it comes from and cannot see at all, for his eyes are filled with shadows. The pain is unlike any other, as though rusty, searing fish hooks are tearing away his vulnerable flesh. Voices say he is broken and spitting crippling taunts, but he cannot speak out. His mouth refuses to move and the voices soon become a strange muddled serenade of jeers. 'Hurts, it hurts me, but I won't cry,' he tells himself. Then the sound of nearing footsteps rings above the voices. Fear showers him in cold chills. Who is here amidst this lonesome darkness? Death Himself, or God? He does not know. When the footsteps stop, his breath grows short and ragged. Then a hand caresses his face gently. Warmth pushes the pain away. He feels like the world has been lifted from his shoulders. He thinks he smiles, but his face is too numb to tell. As he tries to look at the person fondling him, a harsh white light swallows his eyes. _

Kakuzu squints at the bright sun that beams down on if face. He tries to raise an arm to shield his sleep-glazed eyes, but the man cuddled against him holds tight to the limb. Hidan sleeps soundly at his loves side. Kakuzu feels a light blush increase the heat on his face caused by the rays of sun. Funny that just a while ago, work with Hidan seemed a morbid task. Now the miser wanted to hold this man close to his side, to give the love he thought long gone in his heart to his partner. He stared at the jashinists peaceful face, his slowly rising chest at each intake of air, and how the sun illuminated his beautiful pallor. Kakuzu was hopelessly in love with the loud mouthed masochist.

A hollow, strangled gurgling sounds from the pit of Kakuzu's belly. _'Damn, I'm hungry,'_ he thinks to himself. Carefully, he wrenches his arm from Hidan and rises soundlessly from the bed. Taking one last look at Hidan, he retreats to the kitchen in search of nourishment. The kitchen shines in the light of the sun. Its a warm, welcoming glow. A simple house where a happy family belongs, but instead it harbors two injured serial killers. Kakuzu moves to the cabinets. Most of the food needs to be cooked, and he simply does not have the patience at the moment. He grabs a loaf of bread and half a pack of shaved chicken from the fridge, then goes back to the room.

Hidan is still asleep. Kakuzu does not wish to wake him, so he sits on the dresser and hastily makes a sandwich. He savagely tears into the food and it is gone in a matter of seconds. As he goes to make another one, Hidan stirs and starts trying to move into a sitting position. He writhes pathetically, his limbs still trying to follow the commands of his brain, but fails. He doesn't notice the sadist across the room, so Kakuzu just watches for a moment. Then he rises deftly and walks to Hidan, whose face is buried in pillows as his arms try to push him up. Kakuzu loops his arms around the younger mans lean torso, whispering "You look pathetic," into his ear. He hoists his partner into sitting, leaning him against the headboard. The red tint staining Hidan's face makes Kakuzu smile to himself.

"Thanks," he mumbles and looks away sheepishly. Kakuzu nods in response, then walks back to his meal. "Hungry?" he asks Hidan. The junior akatsuki raises his head sharply at the indication of food. Kakuzu finishes layering meat into the two slivers of bread and hands it to Hidan, who inhales it as soon as it is in his hands. After all, he hadn't eaten in almost four days. Kakuzu is able to make them both one more, then the ingredients are gone. After they are done, Kakuzu sits on the edge of the bed. "We'll have to contact Pain soon," he says. Hidan gives his famous uncaring look. "I don't give a rats ass about him at the moment! Look at me!" he yells, motioning his arms in a sweep over his body for emphasis. "I can barely move! And God, I look hideous!"

The words make Kakuzu flinch a little. Hideous? Thats what everyone called him. And he made Hidan that way as well? Hidan saw the hurt in Kakuzu's eyes and immediately wanted to bite his tongue in regret. Kakuzu was actually incredibly attractive to Hidan, and the scars and stitches that laced him only exemplified his handsome features. "Hey, i didn't mean..." the masochist started but trailed off. Kakuzu took lead of the conversation. "Didn't mean what?" he asked coolly, like he hadn't heard the words. Before Hidan could respond, the senior akatsuki continued. "Anyways, we need to report back so we aren't replaced." Hidan merely nods. The silence grows thick. Without warning, Kakuzu quickly presses his lips to Hidan's. The jashinist is taken aback, his body rigid. Then he slowly melts into the misers kiss. Their lips move as one, and Hidan inhales sharply when Kakuzu slips the masochist his tongue. They pull away slowly. Kakuzu is the first to speak. "I wanted you awake for that one," he says. Hidan blushes madly. Kakuzu stands abruptly, startling Hidan. "We leave in ten minutes. The stitches incorporate into flesh quickly, so you don't need to worry about that."

"And how the hell do you expect me to walk?" Hidan barks. Before he can spit another retort, Kakuzu is pulling him to his feet. Hidan stumbles and crashes into Kakuzu's chest, pushing the sadist into the wall. "Well Hidan," says the older man. "I didn't know you felt this way. Its all moving so quickly." The words make heat reoccur in Hidan's face. He keeps his balance and forces himself off of Kakuzu. "Shut the hell up you dirty perv!" he yelps indignantly. Kakuzu smiles and flares Hidan's childish anger. Then the misers face grows stern. "Come on, I'll help you."

They end up spending half an hour on getting Hidan to walk properly. Soon enough, the reconstructed man can walk in a straight line. Hidan sits on the bed, still feeling the ghost of Kakuzu's hands on his waist as his partner held him steady while he took his first few steps. Kakuzu is gathering some sort of clothing to cover them. He finds a trench coat for himself, and a tanktop and pants for Hidan. Hidan can't stop stealing glances at Kakuzu, how the heavy coat molded to his broad shoulders and made his strange eyes glow. Kakuzu turned to face Hidan. "It's already midday. We have to hurry or it will be dark soon." Hidan sighs heavily. "Why can't we just stay here?" Kakuzu quirks a brow. "You think this house conveniently had food and running water without attendance beforehand?"

It takes the thick headed Hidan a second to piece together what Kakuzu meant. "Oh," he replies dumbly. Without another word, Kakuzu pats Hidan's head once and heads out the door. Ignoring the seemingly constant blush, Hidan follows close behind his elder. Its much nicer out compared to yesterdays gloom. The sun shines bright and the forest seems renewed with life. The ground is a bit damp from yesterdays deluge, the muck was not uncomfortably thick. The two walk silently for a while. They are steps away from a whole mile before one of them speaks. It is Hidan who breaks the silence. "So why the hell are you coming onto me all of a sudden?" The question had been bugging him all day. Why did Kakuzu suddenly seem so impulsive? Kakuzu craned his head to the side to see Hidan's face, his dark chestnut brown hair a shade lighter in the sun. With a cocky smirk, the miser replies "Asks the one who was vigorously touching my chest while i was unconscious."

And with that, Hidan's face is flushed pink. "Shut up! I told you I was checking your vital signs!" Hidan says in a hurried, defensive tone. Kakuzu scratches his head and simply says, "I have my reasons." This only makes his junior angry. "So you fucking kissed me twice for what? Was it a joke?!" His voice raises when he speaks the last sentence. He didn't want to think it was a joke. He wanted Kakuzu to love him. The miser stops in his tracks and Hidan accidentally bumps into his back. Kakuzu spins on his heel to face the man he loved. "Maybe," he starts and steps even closer to Hidan. "I did it because I like you." Hidan takes a quick step back, but Kakuzu progressively steps further and continues to push Hidan back. "Maybe," another step forward. "I like you a lot." Hidan is soon stopped when his back hits a tree. Kakuzu plants his hands on either side of Hidan's head. He leans in so his lips graze Hidan's pale ear. "And just maybe," he whispers slowly. "I'm madly in love with you." Hidan's heart skips a beat. Well, the heart that beat was that which Kakuzu had brought to him from the basement of the house they slept in and incorporated into the zealots body just before they left the place. His breath caught in his throat, he stood stiff in the taller mans shadow. So Kakuzu did love him? It felt as though Hidan were in a dream. Then Kakuzu quickly pulls away. "Maybe, just maybe." The words are followed by a sassy wink and irritation pricks at Hidan. "Goddammit why can't you be straightforward for once!" he yells at the chuckling miser.

They reach a small motel outside a small town by nightfall. Kakuzu carries Hidan on his back as they head down the road to the little building. Hidan harshly whispers in Kakuzu's ear, "Can you put me the fuck down now? I can walk, and people are staring!" Indeed, they did stare as the walked down the compact road. Not that Kakuzu cared. "What, are you ashamed of me?" the sadist asked teasingly. Hidan grumbles a swear under his breath and rest his chin on Kakuzu's shoulder. They reach the motel in a matter of minutes and check in. The old woman at the counter eyes the pair suspiciously as Kakuzu fishes the stolen money from the pocket of his coat. Hidan buries his face in Kakuzu's broad shoulder. He breaths in the misers scent and gives a small sigh of comfort. As Kakuzu carries his zealot up the stairs, Hidan allows himself to think of what they would do next when they reached the room, and his brain teases him with the dirty thought of Kakuzu's body looming over him right before their bodies joined together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note; Hello everyone! This is the last chapter to this story, and I realize its incredibly late. I feel terrible making you wait so long and i apologize, but my computer crashed before i could type this up (I'm typing this at the library) and a lot of crap has been going on lately and I've just had a lot on my mind. But after reading the comments left on this story I was brought to tears. Your praise and support has made me happier than I've been in a while and I really appreciate it :'). Writing is my passion and I love making people happy through it, so I will work harder for myself, and more importantly, for you guys, so I will make this chapter the longest (I like writing yaoi with thorough detail anyways). This is where the sex happens so just a heads up! Hope you enjoy!**

The duo reached their designated room. The elder of the two digs the key the receptionist gave him into the slot of the lock and turns it, earning a hollow click from the unlatching tumblers. He opens the door and is greeted by a rush of cool air. The compact room is dark and exudes a comfortable atmosphere. A large bed adorned with a sapphire blue blanket lay in the upper left-hand corner and a window at the foot of the bed is dressed in cerulean drapes. Kakuzu flips the light switch on and saunters over to the bed. Hidan, who was still indulging in his fantasies, snapped back into reality when Kakuzu begins moving his sturdy arms out from under the albino's thighs. Hidan unwraps his arms from the older mans throat and slides off his broad stitched back, his feet landing deftly on the carpeted floor. His legs were still too weak to accommodate the sudden bearing of body weight and his knees buckle, causing the jashinist to stumble and fall backwards. His hands fumble and grip the Taki-nins coat sleeve as he lets out a yelp and falls onto the mattress, bringing Kakuzu with him. Kakuzu lies on top of his junior, their noses inches apart, and both men blush at the sudden close contact.

"Damn Hidan," Kakuzu says, "I didn't know you were that eager to get underneath me." The scarlet hue in Hidan's cheeks grows a shade darker at the dirty taunt. He pushes the smiling sadist away. "S-shut up, you perverted dickhole!" the masochist snaps back as they both sit up. He was having a hard time getting used to this seductive, teasing side of his partner. It wasn't that Hidan found the attitude unappealing, it just surprised him. The zealot had been Kakuzu's longest lasting partner and knew that the older akatsuki concealed his emotions almost all the time to avoid complications in his work. Hidan, who lets his emotions run wild, left his village because they couldn't handle his malevolent, gung-ho personality, and he couldn't stomach the boring peace. He found salvation in the gore of Lord Jashin's church and proudly boasted about the God who made him immortal. He wondered if this display of emotion meant Kakuzu trusted him. Hidan desperately tried to get closer to the man he secretly adored. In fact, Kakuzu was the reason he joined the Akatsuki in the first place. And ever since the fight with the Konoha shinobi, Hidan sees a lot of progress in the relationship. He even slept in the same bed as the miser last night.

But still, he has to make sure Kakuzu really cares for him. His little "maybe" rant still made Hidan feel flustered and confused. "Oi, asswipe," he speaks in feigned confidence, "you never answered my question. Why did you come back for me? You know you didn't have to." Kakuzu stares thoughtfully at the face that he was so relived to see when he dug this man out of the earth, the face of the man he loved. Kakuzu decided to answer this time. "Because you're the first person I've even considered a friend in many years. When I failed my mission in Takigakure, my friends and family all demonized me and prayed for my death. You're the closest thing I've had to a decent relationship since then." He looks down at the floor and voices his deepest wound. "And I really don't want to be alone anymore." The sudden outpour of emotion caught both men off guard and even made Hidan tear up a little. Hidan's care and the sadists acceptance of his own feelings rid Kakuzu of a weight he had been carrying since his flight from his home.

They sit frozen for a moment, then Kakuzu turns to Hidan and cups his cold, pale cheek in one hand. He was so weary of acting and hiding himself, so he decides to be like his bull-headed junior for once and lets his emotions rule him. "For an annoying, pissy little brat-" "Hey!" Hidan barks furiously, only to be silenced when Kakuzu clamps his hand over the zealots mouth. "-theres something about you that just makes me love you. And it really pisses me off because I'm not sure what exactly it is that made me fall for your stupid ass. But I did." Hidan falls speechless. Again, Kakuzu's newly found abruptness has shocked him into the sweetest silence. He is even more pleasantly surprised when Kakuzu removes his hand and presses his lips against his own.

Hidan responds by moving his lips in sync with the misers. The warmth of the stitched-nins mouth quickly intoxicates Hidan. Kakuzu prods the priests lips with his tongue, requesting entrance, and Hidan opens his mouth in acceptance. Kakuzu explores the moist cavern before their tongues meet and begin coiling around one another in a fitful, passionate dance. Hidan weaves his arms around Kakuzu's neck as the elder akatsuki pushes him back down onto the bed. The jashinist feels Kakuzu place himself over top of his smaller pale body. They pull away slowly, their lips still joined by a thin line of saliva. Kakuzu's jade green eyes meet with Hidan's magenta orbs. Both men see depths of lust and openly exposed love reflected in each others eyes.

Kakuzu moves his head down and presses his lips against Hidan's neck while pushing a hand up the tanktop concealing his recovering torso. Hidan lets out a gasp of pleasure as Kakuzu tenderly kisses his flesh and lightly strokes his chest. The miser then runs his tongue up the length of Hidans neck and traces the contours of his pale ear. The zealot grips the cloth of the trench coat that covers Kakuzu's back and lets out a small moan when Kakuzu's thumb scrapes his taut nipple. Kakuzu raises his head and presses his forehead against Hidan's, taking in the sight of his blushing face and the sound of his quick gasps of breath. The condition of his junior makes Kakuzu's stomach flush with lustful heat. It had been awhile since Kakuzu felt such compelling sexual need.

The miser eases Hidan out of the tight tanktop and black pants. The zealot was nude, and though he knew Kakuzu had seen him this way before, he felt incredibly self-conscious, especially since his excitement was showing obvious between his legs. Kakuzu sees Hidan's blush deepen and notices his eyes are looking sheepishly to the side. Kakuzu smiles inwardly. This is the first time he has seen the cocky albino act so shy with no trace of his boastful demeanor noticable. But he didn't want Hidan shying away too much. The zealot looks back at his partner when he feels the elder grab his wrist and press his hand against the stitched chest. "You know, I really didn't mind you hands on my body before, so don't start getting nervous now," says the sadistic seme. Hidan bites his lip. "I'm not nervous!"

Kakuzu raises a brow in question. "Are you sure about that?" And then he runs his fingers over the length of Hidan's member, making the masochist buck his hips and gasp loudly. The miser wraps his hand around the erection and pumps it. Kakuzu smirks. "You seem nervous, Hida-kun." But Hidan cannot respond now. The pleasure of the warm hand touching him was stealing his breath. Hidan grabs a fistful of Kakuzu's mocha brown hair with a trembling hand and moans softly. As much as the sight of a blushing, panting Hidan amuses Kakuzu, he craves pleasure as well. He opens the front of his pants, whilst touching his uke, and grabs the albinos free hand and guides it down to his own hardening length. Hidan feels his hand placed against the misers waist and his eyes widen a little upon seeing the fabric of the misers pants stretched against his hard on. Kakuzu leans down so his lips graze Hidan's and says "Touch me." in a slow, husky whisper. "Ahh..o-okay," Hidan says in the midst of a moan and plunges his hand into Kakuzu's pants.

Kakuzu flinches a little when Hidan's cold hand touches him, but quickly regains composure. Hidan wasn't really sure how to please another man, since he had only ever touched himself, but he tried repeating the motion of Kakuzu's hand as efficiently as possible. _Kakuzu's..is so hot...,_ Hidan thinks to himself as he moves his hand, his mind foggy with lust. The ecstasy brought on by his seme was so different from the kind from Jashin-sama's rituals. It was much stronger, since it was a real person pleasing him. Rather than just having a sudden wave of ecstasy attack him, then quickly fade away, Hidan could indulge in the feel of Kakuzu's body and the pleasure stayed. Their hands soon began moving in time with each other. Kakuzu lets out a small groan that makes Hidan squirm as his body becomes unbearably hot. Kakuzu smashes his mouth against Hidan's in an attempt to silence himself, but they both end up moaning loudly into the sloppy kiss.

Just as Hidan starts to reach the peak of pleasure, Kakuzu takes his hand away and stills Hidan's own. Hidan groans in anger. "Oi," he starts, his words short due to his lack of breath. "Why the fuck did you stop?!"

"Because I'm not finishing it with a handjob," he says while removing the constricting trench coat. Before Hidan can speak again, Kakuzu crams three fingers into his mouth and commands him to suck. Hidan hesitates, then obeys. When each finger was moist, Kakuzu uses his tendrils to lift Hidan's legs and positions the fingers at the jashinist entrance. He hastily pushes the fingers in, feeling himself throb harder in need for release with each passing second. Hidan lets out a cry of pain as Kakuzu searches for his sweet spot. Yes, he was a masochist, but feeling himself be stretched so awkwardly was different from anything he'd ever felt before. "Dammit, Kakuzu, this fucking hurts!" Kakuzu looks at the uke. "It will hurt more if I don't do this, idiot. Be patient."

"Fuck you, you-ah!" Hidan started in a berating yell that was cut short by a strong burst of pleasure. "See?" Kakuzu says with a matter-of-fact tone. To prove his point further, he strokes the spot slowly, earning a noisy, stressed moan from Hidan. Kakuzu pulls his fingers out and places his member at the open entrance. He catches Hidan's eye, then pushes in. The miser lets out a throaty groan and has to restrain himself from instantly pounding into the tight heat he was now encased in. Hidan writhes under his seme, trying to shift himself so he can comfortably take in Kakuzu's large member. When he is situated, he simply nods and Kakuzu begins thrusting.

Hidan wraps his legs around Kakuzu's waist and digs his nails into the misers back, leaving welts of blood, but the ecstasy is too overwhelming for Kakuzu's mind to notice it. The zealot pushes himself against his senior in time with his thrusts, pushing Kakuzu all the way in. Both men desperately craved one another and wanted to take all of his lover, body and soul. Kakuzu quickly finds Hidan's spot and hits it repeatedly. As the pleasure intensifies with each movement, Hidan's near-screams fill the air along with Kakuzu's heavier, lustful moans. The zealot pulls the miser down and kisses him, licking the stitched-nins tongue, lips and teeth. "Hidan," Kakuzu says in a winded pant as both their climaxes draw near, "I love you."

Hidan comes before he can respond, the rapture making him cry out loudly as he releases on Kakuzu's stomach. The older akatsuki shoots his load into Hidan as he feels the flesh tightly constrict his throbbing member. Slowly he pulls out of his uke and collapses beside the younger male, both panting and slick with sweat. When Hidan catches his breath, he rolls over and props his arms on Kakuzu's chest, then kisses him tenderly. "I love you too," the zealot says, looking away shyly not because of the words he says, but because he is self-conscious of the mess he made on his lover. Kakuzu notices his sheepish glance at the white liquid on his stomach. He smiles teasingly.

"Hidan," he says. Hidan looks at him. Kakuzu wipes the zealots semen off his stomach and onto his hand, then raises it too his mouth and licks it. Hidan blushes furiously. "W-what the hell are you doing, you sick pervert?!" Kakuzu's smile broadens. "What's wrong with this?," he asks while he strokes Hidan's red stained cheek with his clean hand. "It came from you, you belong to me, therefore it is mine and i can do as I please with it."

The masochist blushes more and lays his head on the well sculpted stitched chest of his love and listens to the heartbeat. "Never thought you could be this damn kinky before," he mumbles into the tan skin. "Well you learn something new everyday." the Taki-nin says while running his fingers through Hidan's short messy hair. He considers his words for a moment, then says, "At least most people do. People who use their heads on a daily basis." Hidan glares at him. "Oi, are you trying to say I'm stupid? Eh?!" Kakuzu chuckles softly, throwing Hidan off. Smiling this much was a sight foreign to Hidan, but laughing as well? "No, I'm not. But teasing you now is a lot more enjoyable. You blush a lot more." And Hidan blushes more at the words, making Kakuzu chuckle again.

Hidan grumbles angrily and lays his head back down. "I wonder if Pein's replaced us by now." the jashinist says, remembering their obligation to the Akatsuki, then yawns. Kakuzu sees and pulls the blankets to the bed down and directs Hidan to the pillows. "We'll worry about that later. We survived this, we can take down a couple of push overs." says the stitched-nin, then lies beside his lover and throws the blanket over their bodies and pulls his uke into a loving embrace. Hidan stares dumbfounded at the wall for a moment, then his lips split into a warm smile. "Yeah," the priest mutters into his lovers defined shoulder. They lay there for a moment, lulled by the sound of each others breathing and intoxicated by the warmth of their bodies being drawn so close together. And as they slowly doze off into sleep, their last thoughts are of each other. _Just maybe criminals are meant to find love, one way or another._


End file.
